We are in good shape

Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton says he may be forced into making a couple of changes to his side to keep them fresh for the clash with Wolves.

The Reds picked up a well-earned point in the draw with Preston on Saturday and Warburton feels that fresh legs could help the side pick up more points at Molineux tomorrow night.

He said: “Normally we have a tight squad and, when I was at Brentford, we used the least number of players. We have this mini-season now where we have to make sure that everyone is fit and well and able to deliver when asked to. There may be one or two changes tomorrow night but I have no doubts about the quality of the squad to deliver the performance we are looking for.

“We felt it was a good performance at Preston. In the first five or ten minutes we had to weather the storm and we defended the goal well and showed resilience. From then we played well; we passed it, penetrated and got the goal which always helps. We looked positive in possession and created some good chances. A second goal might have killed it before half time.

“We knew there would be a reaction, they pressed on and changed their shape and we knew we had to move the ball quicker. For that 20-minute period we were under the cosh but we found the solution as we did with Derby before and we finished the game strongly. To come away from Preston with a point and be disappointed tells you we are in a good place.”

Ross McCormack missed the trip to Deepdale through illness and is unlikely to be involved again while Matt Mills is pushing for a recall as he continued to train with the rest of the squad following injury.

Wolves have been in fine form, winning the past four matches, and Warburton is under no illusions that they will come out full of confidence tomorrow night.

He said: “It will be a tough place to go tomorrow but we are looking forward to it and hopefully we can go home with some points. It is a tough division but we love it for that reason. You have to prepare well, focus and go into each game in the best possible shape.

“It shows what you can do if you can put a run together. They come into the game in good form so they will be confident and we have to go there and try and dictate the game. We know it is a tough test, it is a great place to go and play and we have to look forward to these games.”

Warburton has introduced a possession-based style of play to The Reds and he praised the players for the way they have taken it on board to produce two good performances.

He said: “All credit to the players for their approach and their desire; they are good players and good professionals. If you give them structure and guidance they respond accordingly. We are working hard on the training ground but we have a lot of work to do still as a group. I have no doubt about their commitment and desire and hopefully we can move forward from here.

“It is now about having the self-belief in how good they can be and the level of performances they can produce week in, week out.”